Supporting bracket for curtain rods



June 16, 1964 B. MARCUS SUPPORTING BRACKET FOR CURTAIN RODS Filed March8. 1962 BENJAMIN MARCUS z /M;Aq

ATTORNEY 5 O i 2 g 2 5 F162 5 IOA 2 2| 5 t. i i i INVENTOR i S S3,137,393 I SUPPORTING BRACKET FOR'CURTAIN 'RODS Benjamin Marcus,Whitestone, N.Y., assignor to Beam- Matic Hospital Supply Inc., LongIsland City, NY. Filed Mar. 8, 1962, Ser, No. 178,340 1 Claim. (Cl.211105.1)

This invention relates to curtain rod' supports and more particularly tosuch supports used with hospital beds or to form room partitions.

An object of the invention is to provide a curtain rod racket which ismountable on the wall or bedpost, such that a telescoping curtain rodmay be rotated either to an operative position or folded back in anupright position.

Another object of the invention is a rotatable curtain rod bracket whichcan counterbalance flexurally and torsionally the weight of the curtainrod and the hanging curtains.

A feature of the invention is a curtain rod wall bracket having a pivoton which is mounted a plurality of torsion bar springs which can beflexed to counterbalance the weight of the suspended curtain rod andcurtain hangings.

Another feature of the invention is a curtain rod bracket whichcounterbalances the combined weights of a telescoping curtain rod andthe curtains by means of torsion bar springs embedded in flat discspivotally mounted on said bracket.

Another feature of the invention is a counterbalancing curtain rodbracket provided with an adjustable stop for flexing the torsion barsaforementioned which are embedded in the discs.

In the accompanying drawings, which show illustrative embodiments of theinvention:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a curtain rod wall bracket and atelescoping curtain rod supported thereby.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged front View of thebracket shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the wall bracket 1 which supports an extensiblecurtain rod 10A, comprises a pair of parallel arms 56 and an integralrigid back plate 2, formed of heavy gauge steel or aluminum adapted tobe secured to a wall by means of bolts.

The parallel arms 56 of the wall bracket 1 support a pivot pin 7 mountedin bayonet slots 8 and 9 having open ends (FIGURE 4) whereby theextensible curtain rod may be rotated from a vertical folded position toa normally horizontal extended position for supporting curtains thereon.The pivot pin 7 is held firmly in the closed ends of the bayonet slots8, 9. However, it and the curtain rod assembly can be removed from thebracket arms 5, 6 and thereby made interchangeable with other brackets.

The curtain rod 10A consists of a number of cylindrical telescoping rodsections 101112 respectively, rotatable on pivot pin 7 of the bracket 1.Curtain rods of square or oval cross-section may be used if desired, inlieu of the cylindrical rod 10A heretofore shown and described. Auniversal ball and socket joint 25 or a knuckle joint is attached to thecurtain rod section 12 whenever it is desired to swing the telescopingrod 10A around the front of the bed.

When the telescoping rod 10A is swung into the vertical retractedposition shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1, it will be held in thefolded backposition by a leaf spring 23, whose end is received in aclamping ring 24. The holding spring 23 is mounted on a cylindricalcover 27 which fits over the bracket assembly as illustrated in FIGURE1.

3,137,393 Patented June 16, 1964 In the normal operating position, witha curtain thereon the telescoping curtain rod 10A is rotated about pivotpin 7 into the horizontal position until a limiting stop member 20 bearsrigidly against the'back plate 2'of bracket 1 as is clearly shown inFIGURES l, 2 and 3.

Referring to FIGURE 2, there is mounted on the pivo pin 7 a series ofparallel torsion bar springs 17 which flex torsionally to counterbalancethe weight of the rod 10A in its extended horizontal position. i

The parallel torsion bars 17 are formed of thin rectangular leafsprings, embedded in radial slits formed in the circular discs131415.-16.

Circular discs 13 and 14 are parallel to each other and spaced apart.The discs 13, 14 clamp therebetween the end curtain rod section 10,which is rotatably mounted on pivot pin 7 passing transverselytherethrough. The other pair of circular discs 15 and 16, which are inflush contact with each other, are provided with radial slits adjacentthe periphery through which the torsion bars 17 pass. Similarly, attheir opposite ends 32, the torsion springs 17 pass throughcorresponding, radial slits 29 in the parallel discs 13 and 14. In orderto prevent the torsion springs 17 from slipping out of position, acircular retaining ring 33 passes through the ends 32 of the torsionbars 17. The eyelets 36 located on the opposite ends of the torsion barsrespectively, serve a similar purpose.

The assembly of the torsion springs 17 and the discs 13,141516 as a unitis rotatably mounted on pivot pin 7 passing centrally through the discs,as shown in FIGURE 2.

Referring to FIGURE 3, as the telescoping rod 10A is rotated downwardlytoward the horizontal position, the screw head 21 of the screw 20 actsas a limiting stop hearing against plate 2, as shown in FIGURE 3. Whenthe screw head 21 contacts the back plate 2-under increasing downwardpressure, the torsion springs 17 flex through their intermediateportions 37 inasmuch as their ends 32-33 are held fixedly by the discsrespectively. The flexing and torsional bending of the springs 17servesto counterbalance the weight of the telescoping rod 10A and itshanging curtains, with limiting stop member 20, 21

bearing rigidly against the back plate 2.

When telescoping curtain rod 10A is rotated upwardly to retract it to avertical position, the stop 20 is moved away from the back plate 2 andthe torsional forces acting on the leaf springs 17 are relieved.

The screw 20 is adjustable in the supporting angle iron plate 19 bymeans of screw threads to vary the amount of torsion to which leafsprings 17 are subjected. Should any of the'individual springs 17 bebroken, the applied weight on curtain rod 10A will then be borne by theremaining springs in conjunction with a suitable torsional compensationprovided by the adjustment of screw 20.

The. weight of the telescopecurtain rod 10A and the hanging curtain isthus counterbalanced by the torsional reaction developed in leaf springs17 as heretofore described. The leaf springs 17, particularly intheintermediate portions 37 thereof, between discs 13 and 14, flex andtwist to an extent dependent on the applied weight of the curtain rod10A and the curtains hanging therefrom.

In lieu of fastening the curtain rod 10A to a wall by means of bracket1, it may be held on a bedpost by means of a suitable two-part clamp(not shown). When mounted on a bedpost, the bracket 1 is provided with asplit clamp capable of adjusting the height of the. curtain rod 10A andits telescoping section on the bedpost.

Having thus fully described and set forth an embodiment of my invention,it will be understood by those skilled in the, art that the details andthe construction may be varied widely without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: e

A curtain rod support comprising a bracket, a horizontalrpivot pinmounted thereon, a first plate structure pivotally mounted on said pivotpin, a second plate structure pivotally mounted on said pivot pin, acurtain rod supported by said second plate structure, a plurality ofhorizontal torsion springs interconnecting said first and said secondplate structures, and stop means between said first plate structure andsaid bracket limiting the pivotal movement of said first plate structureabout said pivot 7 pin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7562,377 Clay June 23, 1896 884,105 Ryerson Apr. 7, 1908 1,591,063 SmithJuly 6, '1926 1,801,840 Banfield Apr. 21, 1931 2,146,943 Doblhoif Feb.14, 1939 2,238,380 Almen Apr. 15, 1941 2,954,957

Johnson Oct. 4,1960

